Red Hands
by Lord Ackbar
Summary: "Let go." His kind smile meant nothing to her when she could clearly see the silent rage storming in his piercing grey eyes. His grip tightened around her wrist as he took a step closer. It was then, as she looked at him, that she realized her mistake.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hiya, everyone! This story has been swimming in my head for quite some time now. I finally decided to type it up. Don't be shy, let me know what'cha guys think! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my O.C. (I'll be sure to draw up a reference picture soon and post it on my profile like I did with my Naruto stories.) :D

Enjoy! (or not, hopefully you guys do enjoy though. lol.)

EDIT: Fixed some typos I saw. XD

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Watching The Show<strong>

"Ah… Shit, that Haki." A young woman groaned as she grabbed her head in pain. She lightly bit her bottom lip that was pierced on both sides as her long dark purple hair falling over her shoulders and her bangs, which went straight across one side to the other, started to cover her closed eyes as she leaned forward a little. One could now see her ears where she had three piercings on the right ear and two on her left.

Her pale yellow, quarter-sleeve shirt wrinkle a little as it started to overlap her tight black jeans with a matching pale yellow belt. She uncrossed her legs, letting both her feet in dark grey, knee-high boots touch the floor. Her light grey beanie with a pale yellow target symbol on the left side slid a little down the back of her head, but still stayed on.

This was all happening so suddenly.

She only came here to the Human Auction House because of the rumors of a Mermaid being captured. She was curious of what the mermaid looked like. She hadn't expected to see any of the Supernovas, let alone _five_ of them. And then there was the old man.

She looked up at the stage; at the man standing next to the Mermaid's fishbowl with a giant behind him.

The 'Dark King,' Slivers Rayleigh. There was no doubt about it. Her eyes, that were a lighter shade of purple than her hair, were locked on him.

She glanced around at the chaos in the Auction House. The guards were all unconscious because they couldn't withstand the Dark King's powerful Haki. The three Tenryuubito were knocked out mostly by the Strawhat crew. 'All of this… For a Mermaid..?' She thought. She watched as the old man took the explosive collar off of the Mermaid with his bare hands. Rayleigh started walking over to the Fishman on the ground near Luffy, the Captain of the Strawhat Pirates. 'I can't believe this…' Rayleigh started talking to everyone else that was still conscious.

"… And if you took that blast without any trouble, I guess you're not amateurs either."

Someone behind me quietly said, "…Ahh, Damn. I nearly lost consciousness for a moment there…"

She wanted to turn her head around to see which of the other pirates said that when she heard a deep, husky voice.

"To think we'd run into a man like him… in a place like this." She didn't recognize the voice, but the next one to speak… oh; she knew that voice from anywhere.

"…'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh…! Ain't no mistaking him... What's a legend like him doing here?" The voice came from the man none other than Eustass "Captain" Kidd, Captain of the Kidd Pirates.

That must mean the crew behind here was the Heart Pirates who's Captain was, the Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law. Luffy, Luffy's first mate Zoro, Kidd, Kidd's first mate Killer, Law… all five of them were the supernovas present.

"Here on this island, I just go by 'Coating Engineer Ray-san'…" Rayleigh said. She tuned the rest of the talk out after that; she got the idea of what he was trying to say.

'There's no way out of this now. Everyone here is guilty by association…' she thought as she started to here the Marines yelling outside. She picked up a plain looking black book that was sitting next to her and took a pencil out of her pocket. No one seemed to be paying much attention to her movements. All of them caught up in their conversation about the Marines. A small amused smile graced her lips.

"We'll take out the guys hanging around the front, so don't you worry your little selves." She heard Kidd say.

Oh, yes. Things were about to get more interesting.

She turned her head to the right; just enough to see out of the corner of her eye that Luffy and the man sitting behind her look at Kidd. She didn't really get to see what Law's features were. 'They must've taken that as an insult.' She laughed to herself.

All three Captains headed out the front doors. Her attention went back to Rayleigh and she noticed that he was looking straight at her. She held a calm, laid-back expression but her eyes held a hint of shock. Why pay any attention? It wasn't like her bounty was that high compared to the Supernovas, ah… but she did hold up to his Haki.

She offered him a small smile. She wasn't going to say anything; she had no need to. Then her attention went to the Auction House doors. She could sense the chaos about to start. She stood up just as the others still inside started talking about heading out the doors. She quietly made her way to the door just as the Marines started to fire off cannon balls at the three guys standing outside. She stood there, leaning against the door frame.

She carefully opened her book to the first blank page with her pencil ready, just in case. She then watched the next events unfold.

Each one showed their powerful abilities. "Figures, all of them are fruit users." She muttered. Luffy with his infamous Gumo Gumo no Mi, Kidd with his magnetic-like ability and Law's strange one. She didn't really know what to call his power.

He seemed to posses the ability of separating and spatially displacing anything and everything inside a spherical territory of light blue aura. And then he was capable of attaching the separated parts into any manner he deemed fit.

Needless to say, his ability caught her attention the most.

His attire got a little of her attention as well. He was of average height with black tribal-style tattoos on his arms and back of his hands and on his left hand, the letters D, E, A, T, H were tattooed on the back of each finger; from what she could tell. She still couldn't get a good look at his facial features but could see a pair of small, golden hoop earrings on each ear. She could tell that he had black hair underneath a Northern-style fur hat, which was white with brown spots on the bottom and along the rim.

He was wearing a black-sleeved, yellow hoodie with what appeared to be his Jolly Roger on the front of his chest. His sleeves were rolled up just slightly below his elbows. Law was also sporting a pair of light blue jeans with odd markings heavily around his knees and ankles, similar to the ones on his hat but darker in color. A pair of dark, pointer shoes completed his look.

What got her attention from his look was his hat. It meant that he was from _North Blue_; the same area where she was from.

She tore herself away from the man known as the Surgeon of Death and looked at the damage all three of them did. She closed her book and held it to her right side while sliding the pencil behind her left ear. It seemed that they wouldn't need her. Not now, anyways. These Marines didn't stand a chance against these Supernovas.

She took a step away from the door frame and proceeded to casually lean against the outside wall. She didn't want to get in the way of the others that were now running out of the Auction House. She heard Rayleigh laughing.

"You guys sure took care of that!" He continued to laugh as the three guys before him exchanged in small talk. No one seemed to care that the Marines started yelling again; they didn't even have a tactical plan anymore. Kidd was saying something to Luffy. She stared at Luffy as the next words from his mouth surprised her.

"Hmm, but… I'm the one who's gonna find One Piece!"

This declaration seemed to have caught Kidd a little off guard as he stared at Luffy. She knew then that Killer sprang into action by blocking a fairly large battle axe, with his scythe-like weapon attached to his armband, from hitting his Captain. Killer quickly finished off the Marine with little effort at all.

'You want to find One Piece too? Though, I'm pretty sure our reasons for finding it are completely different, eh Mr. Strawhat?' She mused at the thought of her finding One Piece; completely ignoring the first part of what Kidd was saying.

"But from here on out, those without the guts to say that won't survive!" He declared, looking straight ahead of himself. "Let's meet up in the 'New World.'"

A silent agreement was made by the three Captains. And it seemed it was then they all decided they were done here.

"Bepo!" She heard Law say as he turned away from the Marines.

"Aye, Aye, Captain!" A polar bear in an orange boiler suit yelled as he quickly jumped into action, landing a hard flying kick to the Marine after his Captain. The bear seemed to be a master of martial arts.

She watched as Law to the opportunity to free the pirate that used to be known as Jean Bart. She listened as they exchanged words; Law wanted Bart to join his crew. Who, but a fool, would say no to a proposition like that? Jean Bart was no fool, he gladly accepted this. It was better than staying as a slave.

It was then that she decided she should start heading out. Just a she went to take a step away from the wall she was leaning on; she felt someone's eyes on her. 'Just who could be…' She glanced around, her eyes landing on him.

"Oh…" She breathed out. Her right hand clenched tighter around her book and her left hand snatched the pencil from behind her ear. Quickly flipping her book open to a page with a detailed drawing of a rather large black raven; she proceeded in getting her left hand in position.

If he had wanted to try anything, he was too late. Her left hand touched the drawing and when she whispered the word,

"_Animate_."

The raven soared out of the page and into the air. It looked almost as real as an actual raven but its sheer size and shading was the difference. It swooped down next to the woman just as she went to hop on its back. She flew into the air, dodging the bullets the Marines tried firing at her as she made her escape and her presence known.

"Commodore! There was another one of them here! The Animator was with them!" A Marine yelled as he tried firing again at the retreating form of the woman and the creation she brought to life.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Hey, everyone! Here's the second chapter! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! haha. I would have posted this up during the weekend, but I was at Kawaii-kon (Hawaii's only anime convention). I had a ton of fun even though I was stuck at my booth in the Artist Alley for most of the con. ^_^

Anyways, enjoy! :D

EDIT: Changed Aya's bounty from 85,000,000 Berri to 45,000,000 Berri because a low bounty seemed more realistic for her and what she's done (you'll find out soon).

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: A Quick Getawa<strong>**y**

The Animator was still soaring through the air, high above the auction house. She was still observing how the Supernovas were dealing with escaping. Clutching her black book closer to her chest with her right hand and gripping her animated raven with her left, she descended as she saw the pirate known as Jean Bert smash the bridge below her.

"Shit! They smashed the bridge!" She heard a Marine yell as he tried to prevent himself from falling into the water.

She looked toward the way the pirates were going and froze.

"Fuck, not one of them already." She muttered to herself as she adjusted her position on her bird and proceeded to open her book to another page of a detailed drawing. She flew high above Jean Bert and the polar bear beside him.

"You're the new guy, so you're under me, got it?" The polar bear said.

"As long as I'm not a slave no more…" Jean Bert replied without any hesitation.

"Captain! That's…" She heard one of the pirates yell as he realized what was up ahead. She noticed Law catch up with his crew mate and look at the scene before them.

"It's Eustass, and..." Law said as he saw Kidd standing there with all sorts of metal attached to his arms. He looked passed Kidd and realized just who Kidd was dealing with. "Wait, that's…"

"What the hell is a Shichibukai doing here?" Law exclaimed just as the rest of his crew caught up to him. The Animator tried to keep her distance, so she could watch unnoticed.

"Trafalgar Law…" The Shichibukai said as he looked at the two pirate crews in front of him.

"So you know my name, do you…?" Law questioned as he stared at the Shichibukai.

Just then, the Shichibukai fired a beam from his mouth at the pirate crews. The Animator had to fly to the left of her to avoid the blast. Many of them were yelling as the smoke from the blast cleared. When she got back to her spot she heard Law speak.

"…And I sure as hell don't want to meet an Admiral after all this…" Law and Kidd got into battle ready positions. "So, we'll be taking our leave, Bartholomew Kuma!"

_Are they fucking serious?_ The Animator thought as she stared at the two Supernovas. She flipped through the pages of her book, trying to find the right picture to use._ Taking on Kuma like this? They won't be able to escape him without a distraction of some sorts…_ Her left hand stopped on a page with a three large cheetahs on it. Its coloring and detail made it seem like it was a photograph rather than a drawing.

"Here goes nothing…" She said as she swooped down across Kidd and Law. As she passed them with her left hand above the page, she muttered,

"_Animate._"

The three cheetahs leapt out of the page with loud growls. They were poised a couple of feet in front of Kidd and Law, ready to attack in a heartbeat. They sheer size was massive, blocking the view of Kuma from where Kidd and Law stood. The Animator hovered above the two Supernovas as she looked Kuma. Just as Kuma was about to fire another laser beam, the cheetahs leapt into action causing him to reposition his attack onto them for the time being.

"This would be the ideal time to escape, Kidd." The Animator stated as she looked down at him. Kidd and Law both looked up at her with intense eyes.

"Aya…" Kidd said in a dark tone. The Animator glared back at him.

"Don't give me that, Eustass. Just go while you've got the chance, 'cause you know what happens when they get injured too much." She snapped at him. This wasn't the time to let pride overrule anyone's judgment. She flipped her page to another drawing; it was of two more large ravens.

"I'm not done with you, yet… I'll get you later." Kidd replied as turned to look at his crew. "Come on! We're getting out of here." He yelled as his crew started to run into the forest area on the left.

"_Animate_." Aya said and let the two ravens soar out of the page and land next to Law's crew. She looked to her right at Law, only to see him looking at her darkly. She let her raven land next to Law.

"Would you and your crew care for a lift?" She asked with a small smile as she tucked her book underneath her left arm. She extended her right hand out to him. "If you please, we don't have much time left."

Law didn't say anything nor did he take her hand. He just nodded his head towards his crew, signaling to them to get on as he got behind her on the raven. The bear and the guy with the hat that had the word 'Penguin' on it got onto one raven, while Jean Bert and the other guy got on the other one.

"Everyone better hold on tight!" She yelled as all three ravens shot into the air at a high speed. She slightly took note that one of Law's arms had wrapped around her waist to keep himself steady on the raven. She looked back at her cheetahs that were just barely dodging Kuma's attacks and with a flick of her left wrist, she said,

"_Inanimate_."

The cheetahs stopped their movements and reverted into a drawing on a piece of paper. The paper slowly floated to the ground with no trace of ever being anything but a drawing. Normally, she would snatch the paper up to get back her drawing in order to be able to use it again, but not this time. She couldn't risk it with a Shichibukai after the man behind her.

"That's quite the useful trick, Miss…" Law whispered in her ear. Aya froze in her spot; she could feel his chest pressed firmly against her back. She wondered when he had gotten _this_ close to her. She could practically hear the undertone of malice in his politely sarcastic manner and it scared her.

"Aya. Just like Kidd said." She told him as she figured that was why he drawled out the word 'Miss.' She could almost feel the smirk form on his lips.

"And just how did you come across, Mister Eustass?" He asked as she felt his hot breath on her ear. She tried to look at him through the corner of her eyes.

"I'm not inclined to tell you anything, Mister Trafalgar." She replied coolly, mocking his fake politeness, as all three ravens started descending into the Tourist zone of Sabaody Archipelago. She set her destination to this zone of Sabaody because it was the furthest away from where they had been. Also, she could easily leave behind this odd crew in a crowded place like the Tourist zone. As they were a few feet above the buildings in the zone, she decided now was a good time.

"_Inanimate_."

All three of the ravens lost their flight formation and reverted back to the two drawings she had earlier. She quickly grabbed the drawing of the raven she and Law were on, pocketing the drawing in her book. As they all continued to fall to the ground, she made her way to the other drawing of the two ravens. She didn't want to lose any more of her precious drawings; she couldn't afford it.

She didn't care to notice how the others were handling themselves as she quickly snatched the drawing into her book and braced herself to land on one of the buildings' roof. She landed on the roof with a roll; she didn't want to accidentally damage anything. She quickly made a run for the edge of the roof as she heard the others come tumbling down. She didn't care to look back at them to see how well they landed as she jumped off the roof. It was only a regular two-story building, the ground wasn't too far.

As her feet touched the ground, she dashed into the crowded street of the Tourist zone.

Law and his crew had landed without any trouble just as they saw her leap off the roof. They all watched as her slim figure got lost in the crowd. Law adjusted his Nodachi on his shoulder and started to walk toward the spot on the roof he had seen Aya jump from. His crew followed him without a word. They all knew that it was time they headed back to their vessel.

Law held his ever present smile as his storm grey eyes were still following the young woman's figure weaving through the crowd. He was intrigued by this woman and her abilities. There was no doubt about it; he was going to make sure that he encounters her again. She would be very useful if he could somehow get her on his crew, just like he did with Jean Bert.

-x-

Aya had made her way to a lone bar called Shakky's Rip-Off bar. She opened the door only to find the Strawhat crew inside with the mermaid and fishman. She looked straight at the bar counter where a tall, slim woman with short black hair was standing. The woman was wiping the counter down next to Luffy, who was eating, and Rayleigh.

Aya paid no mind to the stares she was getting from the Strawhat crew. She came here with a purpose; she wanted questions answered and everyone in Sabaody knew that Shakky almost always had the answers. She looked at Rayleigh as he casually took a sip from his cup of alcohol. But since _he_ was here, she might have a better chance at getting her answers.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing here?" The woman at the counter asked. No doubt that she was Shakky; Aya closed the door and walked up to the bar.

"I'm here to find some answers, Shakky. I was told you were the person I should see, but…" Aya looked back at Rayleigh. "Since you are here, Ray-san, can you help me?"

Rayleigh looked at her. She looked familiar in the sense that her features reminded him of someone he knew. She smiled slightly at him, meaning she already knew who she reminded him of.

"You're Kokoro Makko's daughter." He stated rather than asked as he took another sip of his drink.

"Good to see that my old man wasn't lying when he said he knew you."

"WHAT?" All of the Strawhat Pirates yelled in unison as they all looked at her. If what she just said is true, that meant her father must have been a part of the Roger Pirates. Aya just laughed; there was something about being in the presence of this crew that made her feel like everything was natural. Like it was okay for her to be here with them; to be able to trust them.

"You must be Kokoro Aya, The Animator, with a bounty of 45,000,000 Berri. Also, known for being very skilled in stealth and hiding from the Marines." Shakky commented as she lit up a cigarette and analyzed the young woman in front of her.

"Please, I'm hardly worth that much." Aya said with a smile as she took a seat next to Rayleigh. She set her book down on the counter carefully.

"What is it that you need from me, young lady?" Rayleigh asked, pouring another glass with the bottle of alcohol in his hand. He held the glass out to her.

"It's not a matter of need, but want." Aya said as she took the drink without hesitation. Rayleigh raised a brow in a questioning manner. She took a quick sip of the alcohol, feeling the burn as it went down her throat. She set down her drink on top of her book and looked Rayleigh in the eyes. Though her expression was relaxed and casual, her eyes held a storm of emotions that she couldn't hide. With a deep breath she whispered,

"I want you to call my father, Ray-san."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Hey, everyone!

Sorry that this chapter is kinda short and that it took longer to get it uploaded than I originally planned! I promise the next chapter is going to be really long though!

And thanks so much for all the reviews! They make me smile every time I read them. Let me know if you think there are any flaws to Aya's character or if anything is wrong. Maybe even tell me what you'd like to happen in later chapters and I'll try my best to make it fit! I greatly appreciate your guys thoughts!

As always, enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: What She Left Behind<strong>

As Rayleigh had gone back to talking with the Strawhats, Aya thought about her father. He was a great man in her eyes and a loving father to her and her older sister. He was an amazing mapmaker nowadays; the perfect navigator of the Grand Line. She remembered how she always stayed in his office with him; learning about maps, the Grand Line, everything he could teach her. There was one map though, that her father had, that she was never allowed to see.

'This map was one I made of the second half of the Grand Line when I sailed with my Captain. I made a vow to never let anyone see it and that includes you, little missy.' Her father told her when she first stumbled upon it. She had a feeling of what was on it, no, she knew it was on that map the moment he said it was from the days he was a pirate.

She was slightly relieved that Rayleigh promised to talk with her father once he was finished helping the Strawhats. She agreed that was fine because the Strawhats were here first. She looked over at Rayleigh when she noticed him standing up.

"Rayleigh-san, I have a question…!"

Aya looked over to her left were most of the Strawhat crew was to see who said that. She noticed the woman known as Nico Robin standing up.

"What exactly is the 'Will of D'…?" She asked. Now, that got Aya's attention. Her father mentioned of it a couple of times before she left her home. She listened intently as Robin continued.

"On the Poneglyth in the Sky Islands, I found a note in the old script… And it bore Roger's name. How was he able to use that writing?" Before Rayleigh could say anything, Robin quoted the words Roger left behind.

"I have come here, and will lead this passage to the very end. Pirate, Gol D. Roger." Robin leaned forward a little.

"Is it possible that you people know just what happened to the world during the 'Blank Century' nine hundred years ago?"

Rayleigh was quite for a second. Aya looked up at him as she quietly took a sip of her drink. She knew the answer he would give Robin. Her father the same kind of answer, 'Sure, I know. But we didn't understand and I don't think you'll be able to understand it either right now, little missy.'

Aya completely zoned out as Rayleigh was giving his answer to Robin.

'Little missy…' Aya wondered why her father always called her that up until the day she decided to leave. She knew her father wouldn't want to hear from her, he made it clear that her choice to leave would make her no longer welcomed back home.

"_Here…!" A rather large man threw a large sack full of Berri at an eighteen year old Aya. She looked up at him slightly confused._

"_We may not approve of your decision, but I won't just let you leave without some type of support." He said as he crossed his arms._

"_I… Thank you, papa." She muttered as she tied the sack to her belt on her hip. She looked him in the eyes with respect. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't accept the offer with the Marines, it's not my dream."_

"_You're killing your mother with this stupid choice."_

"_You were one too, papa!"_

"_That's in the past. You of all people know how much your mother hates them." He kept a calm voice, never raising it._

"_You of all people should know I can't be a Marine."_

"_You would make a fine one if you would just listen to your mother. Your sister is finally going to be joining them next month." Aya snorted at this._

"_Don't compare me with her. We're nothing alike." Aya turned away from him and proceeded to walk out the front door._

"_Just remember, Aya, once you leave this island… You are no longer a part of this family, there is no coming back."_

_Aya never stopped walking away, never once looked back. She knew that she didn't have to heart to look at him._

"USOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPP!" Aya heard Luffy yell as remembered her surroundings.

"We are not asking him where the treasure is hidden! We're not even asking him whether there is any treasure or not! I'm not sure, but… everybody set out to sea, risking their lives to search for it!" Luffy continued to yell as he stood up with one foot firmly on the counter.

"If you ask this old man anything about it here and now… Then I'll quit being a Pirate!" Aya couldn't help but smile a little at this as his crew mates looked at him slightly shocked.

"I don't want to go on a boring adventure like that!"

_He sure is something out of the norm…_ Aya thought as her smile widened a bit. She heard the long nosed male, which she assumed is Usopp, proceed to apologize and talk gibberish and Shakky laughed at him.

"Can you really do this…? The Grand Line is just going to keep on surpassing your wildest imaginations! And the enemies will be strong. Can you really conquer this ultimate ocean?" Rayleigh questioned Luffy as he looked at the boy.

"I don't want to conquer anything; I just think the guy with the most freedom in this ocean is the Pirate King!" Luffy responded with a huge grin. Aya was starting to really like this guy. He had an interesting way about things that just contradicted many things.

"Is that right…" she heard Rayleigh whisper.

"I think I really am becoming a big fan of yours, monkey-chan." Aya stifled a laugh at hearing the woman, Shakky, call Luffy a monkey.

"Your ship… Is over at Grove 41, right?" Rayleigh made his way to the front door of the bar. "I'll go and handle that myself. What about you guys? There may be an Admiral here on the island already, you know."

Aya finished her drink as she heard the Strawhats plan what they were going to do. She couldn't care what they did while an Admiral was here, as long as they didn't get her caught with them. She thought it would be best of her to just stay here in Shakky's bar until the cost was clear. Plus, she still had questions to ask Shakky. Most of which involved a certain Supernova.

She heard everyone follow Rayleigh out the door while still talking with him. Most likely about the time it took to get their ship coated, though, she would never have to worry about that unless she wanted to visit Fishman Island. She could always fly to where she wanted to go.

Shakky and that mermaid came back inside shortly afterwards. The Strawhats must've already descended the stairs in front of the bar.

"So, how can I help you, Aya-chan?" Shakky asked as she poured more alcohol into Aya's empty glass. Aya looked up at her with a calm expression.

"Mmm… Just need a little more info on the Supernova, Trafalgar Law." She answered as she picked up her glass and took a sip.

"Why him?" Shakky asked curiously with a smile on her face as she lit up another cigarette.

Aya gave her a lazy smile.

"His ability interests me."

-x-

As soon as she heard an explosion, Aya ran out of the bar in the middle of her conversation with Shakky. The explosion had faintly reached her ears, which meant something was wrong. She knew full well that the Strawhats must be in trouble, but with whom? Surely, it couldn't be the Admiral already.

Aya could hear a battle going on as she finished running down the flight of stairs. She didn't really know what she was doing or even how long they were already fighting. She didn't know if she would even be of help to them when she got to them. She's not that strong and very limited with her array of drawings right now.

She decided she needed to draw more if and when she gets out of all this mayhem on this island.

"What the…" She finished her sentence as looked at the scene before her eyes. The Strawhats were getting defeated by the Shichibukai Kuma, but why is he using his actual ability? He never once used his actual ability earlier when she escaped with Law, just what was happening? Then there was Sentomaru, who was Vegapunk's bodyguard and in command of the Science Unit, the Admiral known as Kizaru and finally, Rayleigh fighting. Aya couldn't think straight. There were too many powerful big shots fighting in one area.

Aya dashed behind a nearby tree for cover, she couldn't be seen by the enemy just yet. She'll be of more help by catching the enemies off guard. Too bad she couldn't do anything for them as she flipped through the pages of her book. The Strawhat crew was doomed to be separated the moment she realized what Kuma was doing. He was sparing them from the wrath of Admiral Kizaru.

"N-n-no…" Aya's eyes widened as she peered behind her hiding spot. What was she to do? She didn't know; she just wanted to help Luffy and his crew! They didn't deserve this just yet. They seemed like good people to her. She kept her eyes on Kuma in fear, her relaxed façade no longer there. She gripped her black book tightly in her hands. _This isn't happening…_ She thought frantically.

All too fast, the Strawhat crew disappeared one by one. Where Kuma was sending them was anyone's guess at this point. This method of saving them was still terrifying to Aya. Just seeing how easy it was for the Shichibukai tear apart such a close crew was daunting.

Aya couldn't handle it; the fear.

And like a coward…

She ran.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Man, I'm terribly sorry I haven't been keeping up with this story or any of my others for awhile. I've been having a serious case of Artist's Block. I haven't been able to paint, draw or write and it fucking sucks. I tried writing more chapters but it's pretty short, I think. :/

If there's anything you don't like about the chapter or the previous chapters, PLEASE let me know. If you think Aya was/is a bit of a Mary-sue, don't just tell me she is EXPLAIN to me why you think that so I know what to edit and/or fix. I can't express that enough, it bugs me to know end to hear someone say that she's a Mary-sue and then NOT say why. :(

Sorry if I came off a bit harsh there. It's just a pet peeve I have about anything, not just about my characters. Like when someone says, "You're doing it wrong." and then not explain how or why they think that makes me frustrated. lol.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: All You Do Is Hide<strong>

"Damn it." Aya muttered as she tried to catch her breath. Her hands were still shaking as she held onto her sketchbook tightly. Her back was leaning against a wall of a building in the shopping district. She was angry at herself; this wasn't the first time she'd been a coward. She closed her eyes and tried to regain her composure before she got out of the alley she was in.

"I need a drink." She said to herself as she began to put her façade back on. She was now calm and collected as she casually walked out of the alley. She decided she wasn't going to dwell on what she had witnessed or her decision; at least not right now.

_I wonder if any of the other supernovas had an encounter with the Admiral too… _Aya wondered as she made her way to another grove that most of the bars were located at.

-x-

"Another, please." Aya said to the bartender. She was on her fifth Long Island Iced Tea; one of her few favorite Highballs. She was seated at the corner of the bar's counter, the closest seat to the door. She didn't really pay attention to the people in the bar, nor did she really care who was here.

"What's a fine lady like you doing here all alone?" Someone said as she heard them sit down in the chair next to her.

"I assume you think you have a chance?" Aya responded as she watched the bartender make her drink; not even paying heed to who she was talking to.

"Well…"

Aya looked at the man out of the corner of her eyes once she was handed her drink. Her hand tensed around her drinks tall glass, just a little. She had recognized the guy next to her. If he was here that meant the rest of his crew was here. She was not expecting to see them again so soon.

"Actually, it was a bet." The man scratched the back of his head as gave her a cheesy grin while his eyes were hidden by his hat.

"How cute." Aya took a sip of her drink. "What's at stake?" She didn't think it would hurt to humor him for a little while.

"1,000 Berri."

"Quite the wager." Aya turned to give him a small smile before she took another sip. While she turned to face him, she searched around the bar for his crew members. She noticed them at a table near the back left corner of the bar, a good distance away. "Aya."

"What?" The man before her looked a little confused. He was wearing a white boiler suit with what she assumed was there Jolly Roger right above his heart, brown boots and black hat with a yellow brim, a red pompon on top and the word 'PENGUIN' on the front. He didn't look that bad, she noted.

"My name." She replied as she leaned her left elbow onto the counter.

"Penguin." He stated with a smile as he held out his right hand to her. _What an odd name he has..._ Aya thought as she clasped her hand around his and they shook their hands together.

"What do you have to do in order to win the bet, Penguin?" She asked slightly amused.

"Get a kiss." He replied, looking a little nervous. Aya mused over hearing this while finishing off her drink.

"Not bad." She said as she placed her right hand on his knee and leaned over. She smirked a little when she felt him tense up. She moved her arm that was on the counter to his right shoulder and softly gave him a kiss on the lips. A small laugh escaped her lips as she pulled back and returned to her position before kissing him.

Penguin sat there still in shock at what just happened. He couldn't believe he just got a kiss. Most women would never do that once they heard it was for a bet.

"Just a glass a whiskey, please." Aya told the bartender as he came around to get her empty glass.

"Did you just…"

"Yes, I did." Aya said as she silently thanked the bartender when he handed her a glass of whiskey. "It was just a harmless kiss, so I thought why not? And judging by one of your crewmates over there," She motioned with the glass in her hand to the area where his crew sat, "I'll assume he wasn't expecting it either." She stated before she downed the whole glass of whiskey as if it was water. She didn't really care to look at the slightly shocked expression still on his face.

"Now as fun as this chat has been, Penguin, I must be going." Aya said as she stood up and took out the appropriate amount of Berri for the bartender. She quickly paid the bartender and headed for the door.

Before she exited the bar, she held up one arm and gave the Heart Pirate's captain a two fingered type of goodbye signal. The moment Penguin came up to her, she could feel his eyes on her; his calm, analyzing eyes. She had a feeling that they'd be meeting again soon as she started to head to the grove with Shakky's bar; she still wanted Rayleigh to speak with her old man.

She didn't get that far from the bar when she felt their presence behind her. She turned around and her face met that of a Jolly Roger on a yellow fabric and a tanned neck. She glared slightly in annoyance at how close he was to her and how she didn't even feel his presence _that_ close to her.

"Is there something you need, _Mister_ Trafalgar?" She asked as she looked up to meet his eyes. She wasn't going to take a step back because that would be a sign saying she was uncomfortable and intimidated by him. She was not going to give him that satisfaction after hearing Shakky's analysis of the man before her. She saw the glint of amusement in his eyes as his lips curved into his trademark smile. Aya was getting the feeling that this was a man she shouldn't cross paths with. She noticed behind Law was Penguin, the polar bear she remembered hearing its name was Bepo and a man with brown hair that reaches his shoulders, wearing the same suit as Penguin and a blue hat with a red brim. His eyes were hiding behind dark sunglasses.

"Where's your crew, Miss Aya?" Law asked, completely ignoring Aya's question. His ever present smile was playing on his lips; his eyes never leaving hers.

"I don't have one and I don't plan on ever being in one." Aya replied quickly. She could see where this was going. Someone already tried doing this to her once and her answer had been the same. She just hoped the man before her was more reasonable than the previous man.

"And why is that?" He questioned. He wasn't going to let her go that easily. He wanted her abilities; to study it, see it in action, and to have it used for him.

"I'm not inclined to tell you." She said just before she jumped backwards and giving him that two fingered wave of goodbye before she dashed into a large crowd passing by. She wasn't going to risk staying near that Supernova. If what Shakky said was right, he was someone Aya didn't want to be around.

She already knew he just wanted to use her for her abilities.

Just like _him_.

Just like the Marines.

She already had a plan forming in her head as she weaved through the crowd and slipped into an alley. She was going to do what she does best; hide from them all.

-x-

"I'll assume you ran into him." Shakky said as she already started fixing Aya a glass of whiskey.

Aya closed the Bar's door and sat down at the counter in front of Shakky. She set her sketchbook and money sack on the stool to her right.

"Your intuition is very accurate, Shakky. Mind if I stay her for a bit?" Aya accepted the glass Shakky handed to her. "I'll do whatever you need me to. Just need a place to stay until Ray-san is done coating the Strawhats ship." Aya continued when Shakky was quiet.

"Well, not like I can deny your request when you say it like that, now can I?" Shakky replied as she lit up a cigarette. Aya gave her a small smile of thanks as she downed the glass of whiskey. Aya silently cursed her father for introducing alcohol to her at such a young age; she seemed to be drinking it far too much lately. Aya slowly looked around the bar and noticed something was different as she gave the empty glass back to Shakky.

"Where'd the mermaid and fishman go?" Aya asked. They couldn't have really gone off anywhere, could they? The fishman was injured the last time she saw him. And the mermaid didn't look very bright.

"In the back resting. Interested in their kind?"

"Yes, I would love to draw them." Aya said as she picked up her sketchbook. Shakky laughed.

"How about you tell me a little about your abilities first, Hun? Then you can draw them to your heart's content." Shakky suggested as she smiled down at Aya.


	5. Chapter 5

**EDIT:** Made some major changes to this chapter because I didn't really like how it came out. I think that these changes make more sense for the story than what I had first written down.

**Author's Note:** I tried to write more but it's not cutting it. :| I don't know if I really like this chapter as a whole or not. This Artist's Block is killing me. Like no, kidding. I'm barely able to force myself to get my art assignments for my intermediate painting class done, let alone writing my story. I really wish I wasn't like this, I really want to write and draw more. *sigh*

And THANK YOU, everyone who has reviewed my story. You guys are what helps me write the next chapter. If I didn't have you guys reading my story, I don't think I'd be writing up my chapters (even though I've been slow at it). Again, THANK YOU! :]

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><p><strong>Chapter Five: Information Gatherer<strong>

Law's ever present smile faltered just a little as he realized that the purple haired woman knew his Room's spatial limit. She jumped far enough away from him that even if he tried to use his ability, it wouldn't cover her. Law couldn't decide whether she was able to figure out the limit of his ability by just observing him at the Human Auction House or if she was informed it. He was leaning more towards the former. He was sure no one actually tried finding out his abilities limits before and the only thing that people seemed to try to find out was what kind of ability he had. He had noticed that she was very aware of her surroundings in the bar, which fuels his assumption more towards her figuring it out on her own.

Aya was proving to be more interesting but irritating at the same time. All this running away and hiding was really grating on his nerves. He was starting to lose his patience.

"Should we go after her, Captain?" Penguin asked as he looked toward Law as they all watched the woman disappear into the crowd.

Penguin couldn't fully understand what his Captain wanted with this woman. Sure, she seemed like a wonderful woman; after all, she got him to finally win a bet against the man standing next to him, Shachi. Penguin wasn't going to question why his Captain was so interested in her, but he was going to do everything he could to get his Captain want he wanted.

"Penguin, Shachi."

That was all Law needed to say as both Shachi and Penguin dashed past Law and toward the direction they last saw the purple haired woman go.

-x-

"How long do you think we should wait here?" Penguin asked his crewmate as they stood at the base of a long staircase, looking up at a lone bar.

"Until she leaves, of course. Captain wanted us to get her." Shachi replied as he uncrossed his arms and shifted his weight from his left leg to his right.

They figured that Aya must have known they were following her because they had lost her for some time. They had been able to find Aya after some searching and followed her here. She sure was a difficult person to track down. They were actually lucky in stumbling upon her after they lost her because they were just about to give up when they saw her casually leave a hotel in the tourist zone. They made sure to remember that hotel just in case they lost her again.

"You youngsters should head back to your Captain." They heard a vaguely familiar voice speak from behind them. How long was that man behind them? Why was he here?

They should have known better than to have stayed out in the open like this, but there was no place to really hide. They gulped as they clearly recognized that voice to be none other than the Dark King's.

-x-

A regular den-den mushi was sitting on the counter of Shakky's bar; clearly in use as the snail portrayed the emotions of the man on the other end. Aya and Rayleigh were sitting at the counter in front of the den-den mushi as Rayleigh poured himself a drink.

Aya looked at Rayleigh with a calm look as she listened to the conversation he was having with her father. They have been talking for quite awhile and this call wasn't quite going the way she thought it would. She was sure her father wouldn't want to hear about her at all, but it seemed like he was keeping track of her journey through the papers whenever she appeared on it. Still, she didn't want to make her presence known to her father just yet. There were some things she wanted to hear from him before she said anything.

"When you see her, tell her to keep an eye out for her sister." A deep, male voice came from the den-den mushi.

"Oh? For what reason, Makko?" Rayleigh asked with a hearty laugh. He seemed to understand that Aya wanted him to get information from her father.

"Her sister joined the Marines." The den-den mushi had a displeased expression on as there was a small pause from Makko. Though Aya already knew that but Makko was talking to Rayleigh right now, not her. "Isoka said that she's gunnin' after Aya for some reason or another. Said the Marines think her abilities will be useful to them."

"I'm well aware of that, papa." Aya finally spoke in a laid back tone. She already had several run-ins with the Marines. She knew her sister well enough to know what her intentions were. Her sister wanted to get one of the highest ranks in the Marines by any means necessary; her sister was ruthless and stubborn. Isoka always had it out for Aya ever since Aya ate the devil fruit their father gave her when they were little. Her rivalry with Isoka, however, was just because of jealousy over a fruit. No, Aya was positive she couldn't even call it sibling rivalry; it was just pure hate for one another. Both sisters knew it.

"Glad you finally decide to join the conversation, Aya." Her father spoke as the den-den mushi held a smile on its face. "You better have been taking good care of my maps you took, especially _that one_ map in particular." Hearing that comment made Rayleigh raise a brow. He was curious to know just what map in particular, but he already suspected what it was.

"You know I'm not irresponsible like Isoka was. Plus, I'm putting them to good use. Not like you were ever gonna use them again." Aya responded as both Makko and Rayleigh let out a hearty laugh.

"She sounds just like you when we were younger, Makko." Rayleigh stated with a smile as he took a sip of his drink.

"Please, I'm sure my old man was a bit more reckless than I am." Aya said with a lazy smile. She was starting to miss home now that she was here talking with her father.

"Well… I just read the newspaper, Ray. What is the World Government planning?" The den-den mushi had a fixed frown as Makko kept talking. "They know this is a declaration of war on Whitebeard, don't they?"

"From my observation, they want this war. They are more than confident that they will be the victor." Aya answered quite calmly before Rayleigh had a chance to answer. "They're planning something big with this announcement. I believe that they're trying to put an end to the 'Pirate era' that Gol D. Roger created by getting rid of Whitebeard. It won't matter if they succeed in their plans to kill Ace and Whitebeard because their plan to eliminate the 'Pirate era' will fail."

Aya looked as if she had thought about this for a long time. She had read the newspaper two days ago, when it was first announced. Something about the way the World Government was handling this one man made her believe it was more than just baiting Whitebeard; they wanted to put fear into all pirates. And the rumors she heard going around the grand line had also influence her assumptions.

"That's a very keen evaluation of the situation to come. What makes you think that if they kill Whitebeard, it won't put a damper on rookie pirates, Aya-chan?" Shakky asked as she entered the bar from the back. Shakky was tending to the fishman's wounds while they were one the phone with her father. She took out a cigarette and let it up as she proceeded to sit down next to Aya.

"It's just an assumption I've made from the information I've gathered here and there. From what I heard, it seems that the World Government got lucky in getting Ace. A man named Blackbeard handed him in for a Shichibukai spot. Knowing Whitebeard cares for all his crew like family, they know Whitebeard will come but just how many of Whitebeard's division commanders will come?" Aya reasoned as she looked to Shakky. Shakky smiled at her with an amused glint in her eyes. "As for making the rookie's doubt their place as pirates, it just won't happen. Take the eleven supernovas for example; you already know nothing will change their minds. They'll never stop until they achieve their goals to find One Piece."

"I think you just might be right, Aya-chan." Shakky looked over Aya and to Rayleigh who had been quiet since Makko asked his question. "What do you think, Ray-san?"

"You're intuition is never wrong and if you think she might be right, well then…" Rayleigh finished his drink then continued, "We'll find out tomorrow."

"Ah, shucks. Wife is calling me to help in the kitchen." Makko said after hearing a muffled female. "Anyways, call more Aya. I don't think it'd hurt your mother too much to know I'm hearing from ya."

"I'll try, papa. But I won't guarantee it." Aya said calmly.

"Then good luck, little missy. Better raise your bounty higher than it is now, ya hear?" Makko said as if to challenge his daughter.

"Haha. You can bet your poor ass I will." Aya said with a small laugh as they disconnected the den-den mushi. No goodbyes this time; Aya was happy about that. It meant that she was still on good terms with her father after leaving home about a year and a half ago.

-x-

"Tsh." Aya muttered slightly annoyed that this place was the only place on Sabaody set up with large screens for the live broadcast. This bar was the only place large enough to accommodate the amount of people wanting to watch the execution of Portgas D. Ace. She walked through the door and moved to the left to lean against the wall next to the door. She didn't want to move too far into the large bar, she still needed to be cautious about a few people she knew would be here. She started to scan the crowded bar, she knew they all had to already be in here somewhere. It didn't take her long to spot them and take note of the distance between her and them. She was going to keep an eye on them as she watched the broadcast just in case she needed to quickly escape if they tried anything.

As she was watching the start of the broadcast, she wasn't oblivious to how a familiar masked man was staring in her direction. Oh, she knew he was watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to approach her. He was the only man in this room she wouldn't run away from. He was just as cruel as his captain, but he was more logical. He was observant and tactful with almost every situation they had come across. Most of all, he was still someone she trusted wholeheartedly. She nodded her head once to him, giving a silent signal that she wasn't going to flee if he approached.

He had been keeping an eye out on the bar's entrance for some time now for the sake of his captain. He knew Aya well enough to know that she wouldn't be able to resist watching this live broadcast. And whether his captain realized it or not; he knew just how much she loved observing and gathering information on anything she found interesting. He decided that he'll approach her later into the broadcast when he knew his captain would be paying more attention to the broadcast than anything else. He had seen Aya nod her head towards him to let him know of her intentions to stay, though he made no indications that he noticed her.

He turned his head back to the three large screens showing the live broadcast, he wasn't going to give any indication to his captain that Aya was here. He knew for a fact his captain would be too rash in trying to get what he wanted from her.


End file.
